Update: The closing date for the Virtual Town Hall has been extended to Jan. 3.
Virginia Beach City Public Schools is seeking input that will help shape the division’s 2020-2025 strategic plan. Students, parents and community members are invited to weigh in by participating in a Virtual Town Hall open now until Jan. 3.
“Our community spoke loud and clear in 2014 when we sought their input about the division’s future direction,” said VBCPS Superintendent Dr. Aaron Spence. “That feedback was vital as we developed Compass to 2020, and I believe one of the reasons we have seen such success under that plan. So we, again, want to hear from a broad spectrum of our community members since this new plan will not only chart the course for teaching and learning that students will experience, but also become the cornerstone of what all Virginia Beach school staff members are working to achieve for students.”
To gather input, VBCPS launched a “Beyond 2020” website, complete with the Virtual Town Hall and links to the VBCPS Graduate Profile, a list of attributes that emerged from the previous strategic planning work in 2014 as characteristics that students need to be future ready. As part of the town hall, visitors will be asked to reflect on the graduate profile and provide insight into how the school division can best prepare students in achieving those attributes.
After the Virtual Town Hall closes, input will be shared with a steering committee comprised of students, parents, teachers, school division staff and leaders from higher education, the military, community organizations and businesses. That committee will identify priorities and draft the next strategic framework, which will be shared for public comment before it goes to the School Board for adoption later in 2019.
To learn more about the existing Compass to 2020 strategic plan, which is charting the division’s course from 2015-2020, visit vbschools.com. That website includes digital storyboards of the progress the division made each year based on that strategic plan.
Create a Revolution – Part 1
Do away with multiple choice standardized tests.
First, I would like to say that, as a teacher, I like the intent of the Graduate Profile. It sets a clear goal for all VBCPS students. The one problem I have is, how do we support Critical Thinking as an attribute when we still give multiple choice tests as the standard. If we are to teach and test critical thinking, we need to create critical thinking testing.
Since we are one-to-one chrome books, why not create a test whereby students are given a task/project and they use the device to complete that test. This could even include basic question and answer. In this era, students do not need to memorize a plethora of rote answers. Provide the basics and then teach expanded lessons in thinking. EVERY answer students/humans may need to most things in life is available at their fingertips. We simply need to teach discernment as a value of interpreting what they find on the Internet.
Coming soon – Create a Revolution – part 2 –
Do away with grade levels for school years 1-8.